Planet Earth news, feature and articles

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A collage with an illustration of DNA
Invisible DNA lurks everywhere in the environment — and we're on the verge of decoding its secrets Environments are littered with the DNA of the creatures that inhabit them. Analyzing it could provide a real-time view of how our planet is changing.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.
Incredible places: A window onto extraordinary landscapes on Earth Every week, we open a window onto an incredible place and highlight the fantastic history and science behind it.
A composite image of various photos of planet Earth taken from space by satellites or astronauts.
Earth from space — Incredible images of our planet from above Satellite imagery and astronaut photos provide a unique perspective of our planet. These aerial snaps can also highlight rare phenomena from a wide range of scientific disciplines including climate change, meteorology, animal behavior, volcanology, marine science and many more. Every week, we take a bird's eye view of Earth and explain what's really happening in these incredible images.

Latest about Planet Earth

View down an ice tunnel in Greenland's largest ice stream.

Scientists record never-before-seen 'ice quakes' deep inside Greenland's frozen rivers

By Sascha Pare published

Quakes recorded for the first time inside Greenland's biggest frozen river, the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream, suggest this river and others switch between moving jerkily and flowing like honey.

Arctic
an aerial image of the crater of Mount Spurr

Earthquakes at massive Alaska volcano Mount Spurr ramp up again — and there's now a 50-50 chance of an eruption

By Stephanie Pappas published

Ten months of unrest at Mount Spurr could be a sign of an upcoming eruption from a side vent or, less likely, from the main crater.

Volcanos
An aerial photograph of the Sarandí canal, which turned a blood red color on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Canal turns into 'stream of blood' in Argentina as locals fear toxic leak

By Patrick Pester published

The Sarandí canal in Argentina turned blood red last week. Officials suspect a toxic substance used in dyes has entered the waterway, located on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Rivers & Oceans
View of an underground thermal lake from above inside a cave.

World's biggest underground thermal lake discovered in Albania at bottom of 330-foot abyss

By Sascha Pare published

Researchers have returned to an underground thermal lake they first came across in 2021 in southern Albania and confirmed it is the largest of its kind known in the world.

Geology
A satellite photo of a heart-shaped lake surrounded by snow

The heart-shaped 'Spirit Lake' sculpted by Mount St. Helens' epic eruption

By Harry Baker published

Earth from space This 2023 satellite photo shows the heart-shaped Spirit Lake, which was transformed by the cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.

Earth from space
artist impression of the layers of earth

Scientists discover Earth's inner core isn't just slowing down — it's also changing shape

By Stephanie Pappas published

The surface of Earth's inner core appears to be dynamic, changing shape as it rotates, earthquake waves reveal.

Geology

Earthquakes: Facts about why the Earth moves

By Stephanie Pappas published

Discover interesting facts about how big earthquakes can get, why earthquakes happen, and why they're so hard to predict.

Earthquakes
Split image of a supermassive black hole and Antarctica.

'Impossible' black holes, Antarctica's hidden 'plumbing' and more.

By Pandora Dewan published

Science news this week Feb. 8, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.

Science news this week
A photo of a person standing in front of a burning house in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

January 2025 hottest on record despite US cold and La Niña

By Patrick Pester published

La Niña and record cold temperatures in the U.S. should have made Earth cooler, but January 2025 was still the hottest on record, with an average global warming of 3.15 F (1.75 C) above pre-industrial levels.

Climate Change
NASA satellite image showing melt on Alaska.

Alaska's ice is melting in front of our eyes, staggering satellite shots show

By Ben Turner published

Unusual weather patterns and climate change have been driving stark changes in the northwestern state. Now, new satellite images show the extent of this transformation.

Climate Change
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